Nursing Elites

1. Mr. G has been admitted to the hospital with a head injury after a 12-foot fall. Which of the following nursing interventions is most appropriate when monitoring intracranial pressure?

• A. Administer hypotonic solutions
• B. Keep the head of the bed elevated
• C. Increase the client's core body temperature to 99.9 degrees
• D. Administer corticosteroids as ordered

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Administering corticosteroids as ordered is appropriate when monitoring intracranial pressure in clients at risk of increased pressure to reduce brain tissue swelling. Elevating the head of the bed helps in managing intracranial pressure by promoting venous drainage. Administering hypertonic solutions is used to reduce brain edema and control intracranial pressure. Increasing the client's core body temperature is not recommended as it can exacerbate brain injury. Corticosteroids are not routinely used for all head injuries but may be indicated in specific cases, such as certain types of brain injuries where swelling needs to be controlled.

2. You are attempting to teach the wife of a Greek patient how to administer his gastrostomy tube feedings once he returns home. She smiles and nods through your explanations, but when you ask her for a return demonstration, she looks confused and shakes her head. Her daughter enters the room and states that she does not speak English. What would be most helpful in this situation?

• A. Teach the daughter instead
• B. Teach both and ask the daughter to translate for you
• C. Contact a home health agency to provide care
• D. Provide a pamphlet with detailed instructions

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Teaching both the patient's wife and the daughter is the best option in this situation. The daughter may not always be available, and the wife is eager to care for her husband at home. While a hospital interpreter is often preferred, asking the daughter to interpret is a good alternative. This approach allows the daughter to receive instruction and reinforce it for herself as she translates it to her mother. Contacting a home health agency may not be necessary if family members are willing and able to assist. Providing a pamphlet with detailed instructions would not be as effective in ensuring the wife fully understands the procedure and can carry it out correctly.

3. The family of a patient who is receiving therapeutic hypothermia states they do not understand why the patient is being kept so cold. What objective information can you provide to help address their concerns?

• A. Let them talk to another patient who has had the same therapy
• B. Provide research-based information about therapeutic hypothermia
• C. Connect them with the nurse manager
• D. Call the physician and ask him to talk to the family

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Providing research-based information about the benefits of therapeutic hypothermia for their loved one will provide evidence that this is an established therapy with generally positive outcomes. Families are certainly not expected to be familiar with critical care interventions, and their concerns should be addressed with evidence-based data whenever possible. Option A is not appropriate as sharing patient information violates privacy laws and does not address the family's concerns directly. Option C may not directly provide the detailed information the family needs to understand therapeutic hypothermia. Option D involves unnecessary escalation by immediately involving the physician, when providing education and information should be the initial step in addressing the family's concerns.

4. A client asks a nurse, 'Do you think I should move back home after this procedure?' and the nurse responds by saying, 'Do you think you should move back home?' What type of therapeutic communication is the nurse representing?

• A. Observation
• B. Reflection
• C. Summarizing
• D. Validating

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The nurse is demonstrating the therapeutic communication technique of reflection. In this scenario, the nurse is redirecting the question back to the client, encouraging them to explore their thoughts and feelings about the situation. Reflection involves restating a statement or question in a way that prompts the client to consider their own answers, fostering self-awareness and insight. Observation involves stating facts, summarizing involves condensing information, and validating involves confirming the client's feelings or experiences, none of which are demonstrated in this interaction.

5. When a nurse is asked by a physician to speak to a colleague about their unprofessional behavior in front of a client but chooses not to confront the colleague and avoids the physician the next day, what type of conflict resolution is the nurse exhibiting?

• A. Accommodation
• B. Competition
• C. Avoidance
• D. Negotiation

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The nurse is exhibiting the conflict resolution strategy of avoidance. Avoidance involves ignoring the problem in the hope that it will go away on its own. In this scenario, the nurse avoids confronting the colleague and stays away from the physician, which does not address the issue directly. While avoidance may provide time for others to gain insight into the situation, it typically does not lead to a resolution of the underlying problems. Accommodation (A) involves yielding to the wishes of others, competition (B) entails pursuing one's own concerns at the expense of others, and negotiation (D) involves seeking a mutually agreeable solution through communication and compromise, none of which are demonstrated by the nurse in this situation.

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